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Saturday, May 31, 2008

Delware Letter re Joel Jenks, Gold Rush, California 1850

First Record of letter of the Miner 49er Joel Jenks. Joel went to Rough and Ready, California. And wrote letters to his Father Ahab and his wife Minerva. Ahab kept the letters which were then passed down through Sarah (Ahab’s grand-daughter) to the family.

Letter 1 of 5 of the Ahab Jenks letter collection.

Delaware, Jany. 30 1850 (no corrections to the original text-transcribed as seen)

Mr. Joel Jinks (Jenks)

Sir, I am making preparations to go to California in the spring with a company that is going there from here. They intend to go over land route. I can take a hand with me and if you wish to go along you can have the privelage, furnishing your own clothes, which in the outfit is estimated at fifty dollars.

The conditions of the outfit of those two hand that I now have there is-- after furnishing there entyer outfit cloths and all--- which amounted to some two hundred dollars a pese. They are to give me on half of all they make for two years.

Now, if you can furnish your clothes which is one fourth of the whole outfit for one man an give me one half of all nete prosedes for eighteen months from the time we start from here. I should like to have you go along with me. I make you the first offer for there has been at least one half dozen applied to me all ready for the chanse to go. Perhaps you can arrange with your wife’s brothers to keep your wife untill youcould send something home for her support which you can do before the end of the first year. Come over or let me know immediately.

Yours,J. Storm(Storm was married to Joel Jenks Sister.

Joel went with this outfit. Apparently his first wife had passed awayand he had remarried Minerva.Joel Jenks was married a second time to Minerva Hoover who is the stepmother of Sarah Jinks (Lake).The Post Mark on the letter (the back of the Page reads: Mrs. Minerva JinksJohnstownLicking county OhioThere is no stamp on the letter.(Written with a quill pen with great flourish)

I found J Jenks in a Book of Wagon Train Manefests from Independence.The book was in the Apple Valley, CA Library. The Mormon Geneologist showed me the book and helped me find the record of the trip.

This is the travel record (by letters written) of one Joel Jenks who went to the gold fields of California, and died in Rough and Ready, California.